By: Khaled Abu Toameh – The Jerusalem Post

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to appoint a new PA governor in Jerusalem, in a move, his aides say, aimed at demonstrating the significance he attaches to the city.

Adnan Ghaleb Husseini, former director of the Wakf Islamic Trust in Jerusalem, will replace Jamil Othman Nasser, who was appointed about 10 years ago by Yasser Arafat.

Unlike Nasser, Husseini is a resident of Jerusalem and holds an Israeli identification card that enables him to move freely inside Israel.

Husseini, who until recently was Abbas’s special adviser on Jerusalem, belongs to one of Jerusalem’s oldest and most respected families.

His cousin, the late Faisal Husseini, was the top PLO representative in Jerusalem until he died seven years ago. Another relative, Rafik Husseini, is currently director of Abbas’s bureau.

The new Jerusalem governor is considered a moderate who supports dialogue between Jews and Arabs.

A senior PA official said the appointment of Husseini as governor was aimed at “preparing for the next phase” of the talks with Israel over Jerusalem.

He said Adnan Ghaleb Husseini would be entrusted with following Israeli “settlement” construction in the city and finding ways of consolidating the PA’s presence in the Arab neighborhoods.

The outgoing governor was barred by Israel from conducting any activities within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem on behalf of the PA. On several occasions, he was also banned from entering Arab neighborhoods under Israeli sovereignty in the city.

In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, Husseini said he was trying to persuade Israel to reopen Palestinian institutions in the city that were closed down by Israel over the past seven years.

One of these institutions, Orient House, served as the unofficial headquarters of the PLO in Jerusalem. Orient House enjoyed the status of an unofficial diplomatic mission – a fact that angered many in Israel, especially as some foreign ministers insisted on holding talks there with leading Palestinian figures.

“Jerusalem is living without a soul in the absence of Palestinian institutions,” Husseini said. “The people of Jerusalem have been suffering because of the closure of their institutions. Today, everyone realizes that Jerusalem can’t exist without these institutions, which used to provide essential services to the public.”

Husseini said he was prepared to meet with Israeli government officials to discuss the issue of the institutions and other matters related to the day-to-day affairs of the Arab residents.

“We are prepared to open even small windows with Israel,” he said. “We are prepared to do anything to serve the interests of our people in Jerusalem and end their suffering.”

Husseini appealed to Israel not to waste time with regards to discussing the issue of Jerusalem.

“We believe that we can reach a solution to the issue of Jerusalem,” he said. “We hope the Israelis will wake up and realize the importance of the city to the Palestinians. Israel must accept the fact that we will never give up our claim to Jerusalem.”

Husseini said Israel must also realize that peace can’t be achieved without a solution to the issue of Jerusalem.

“There will be no Palestinian state without Jerusalem as its capital,” he said. “This is a holy city and we want Israel to acknowledge this fact. Israel is mistaken if it thinks that the policy of driving the Palestinians out of the city can lead to peace. Peace can’t be achieved by denying the rights of others. Disrespect for others is a sign of weakness, not strength.”

An official in the Prime Minister’s Office downplayed the significance of Husseini’s appointment, saying it did not represent a change of policy, just a change of personalities.

“It’s a non-issue,” the official said. “There is no change in the status quo.”